Samsung Galaxy S3: The truth is out there

We have seen and heard far too many rumors about the Samsung Galaxy S3. We “know” almost everything about the device, including the display, the size, the processor, the internal storage, the camera, and the battery. The only problem is, none of it might be true. Or all of it could be. We will not know for sure until the official announcement, which is expected to be May 22 in London. But again, that is another rumor that needs validation.

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Apart from specification rumors, we’ve also been seeing numerous images of the supposedly real Galaxy S3. Most were easy to identify as fakes, while some were completely different devices. But we aren’t any closer to getting any accurate information about the phone than the day we first heard the name “Samsung Galaxy S3.”

After a lot of visitors commented along the lines of “Stop talking about the S3 because you don’t know anything about it,” I started to wonder as to why. Why don’t we know anything concrete about this phone yet? Especially if we are as close to the launch as we think.

Up to eight weeks before a launch, manufacturers are known to send out their devices for carrier testing. While most vendors would do anything to prevent information leaks, it is during this carrier testing phase that we receive the most credible leaks, including specification sheets, “future” press shots, and, in some extreme cases, even hands-on videos.

According to the Korean Financial and Tech Blog ET News, Samsung had sent out the Galaxy S3 for carrier testing over six weeks ago, which is in line with our estimated release date.

Yes! We finally get to see the real Galaxy S3! Not quite.

In a move straight out of Apple’s playbook, Samsung is using disguised prototypes, said to be in a “lunch box” design, when sending out the device for testing. If you are confused, what this means is that while the internal hardware and device firmware are the same, the casing itself is inconspicuous and is nothing like the final design of the product. This allows carriers to test the device, while also preventing information leaks.

This ploy is a brilliant way to maintain secrecy, and without an semi-official leak, allow Samsung to make design changes right until the launch. Who knows, all the speculation and rumors so far might be a part of Samsung’s strategy to find out what, we, the consumers, would like to see on its next flagship device.

All we know for certain at this point, and something we knew all along, is that the Samsung Galaxy S3 will feature the Android 4.0 OS.

What are your thoughts? Do we now have concrete information on why we don’t have any concrete information about the Galaxy S3? Also, how many times have I stated or implied a rumor in this article?